Baby-proofing? Nix this risky item from your laundry room

While you are baby-proofing your home in preparation for your little one’s arrival, consider looking beyond the stairs and light sockets. Each year, thousands of babies and young children are rushed to the emergency room after ingesting laundry soap pods. If you don’t keep your soaps locked up and out of reach, your laundry room could one day be a hazardous place for baby.

Why it’s a big deal

These pods, meant to make life easier, are great stand-ins for heavy and messy liquid soap containers. They’re small, concentrated and, as it turns out, really attractive to little hands and mouths. In 2012, poison control centers reported 17,000 ingestion cases. Of these instances, 6,000 were sent to the emergency room, 750 were ultimately hospitalized for greater care and 1 even resulted in a fatality.

A study published in the journal Pediatrics noted the difference between traditional liquid soaps and these laundry tabs. To ensure their efficacy, laundry pods must be highly concentrated. When curious tots go rifling through the laundry room, a taste of liquid soap isn’t all that harmful. They may experience vomiting, diarrhea and an upset stomach. But taking in one of these soap tablets, with their powerfully concentrated formulas, causes much more dangerous outcomes for kids.

The bottom line

The authors of the study cautioned parents away from buying these soap pods in an effort to eliminate another safety risk for kids. While you’re setting up the nursery and preparing your home for your new son or daughter, why not take an extra step and cross this item off your to-do list for later? At the end of the day, it never hurts to play it safe and be ready for your little one sooner rather than later.

Lizzie Goodman is a writer living in the Midwest. Since becoming a mom, she’s learned to do everything one-handed, often while letting her baby daughter pull her hair and poke her in the face. She believes in the strength and power of women – and really enjoys writing about pregnancy and motherhood.

Latest Podcast Episodes

You're pregnant and you're planning to breastfeed your baby. But, if you've never breastfed before, how will you know what to do? Should you take a breastfeeding class? How about visiting a breastfeeding support group? What can you expect to happen during those first few days after your baby is born? And what can you…

Whether you choose to birth in a hospital, birth center or home, there are small things you can do to help make your birth experience as calm and comfortable as possible. How can we tame our five senses so we can relax more easily? Can aromatherapy and essential oils help your labor progress faster? Does…

You've just peed on the stick and it's positive. Now what? Most care providers will schedule your first prenatal appointment at the eight-week mark. So, what are you supposed to do in the meantime? We're answering some of the main questions you'll have during this time, especially if this is your first baby.Learn more about…

Most women have been told not to eat anything while in labor, but why? What are the risks to both you and your baby. How do current guidelines vary for vaginal versus cesarean births? Today we'll discuss why most medical providers restrict what you can eat and drink prior to the birth of your baby,…

Follow Us

Copyright 2019 Pregnancy Magazine Group Emails powered by Wishpond: PregnancyWishpond Dedicated Wordpress hosting: PregnancyFlywheel Wordpress Theme: PregnancyTheme This website provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an examination by your healthcare provider. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.